The Cove Screenings Canceled in Japan as Protests Mount (Video)

After working diligently to raise money to translate The Cove into Japanese, and advocating like crazy to get it allowed into theaters in the country, the team behind the ground-breaking documentary is finding it is being met with little enthusiasm. Screenings across Japan are being canceled as pressure from protesters grow, saying that the documentary is a "betrayal of Japanese pride." Unplugged, the distributor of the documentary in Japan, said that the two cancellations that occurred last week came about from concern over the safety of moviegoers and businesses nearby. Angry phone calls and picketers with bullhorns are proving effective at keeping the documentary out of theaters, but it is also doing a good job at drawing attention to the documentary in the first place. In a video response, director Louie Psihoyos gives his two cents. Click through to watch.

According to Huffington Post, "The Cove screened at the Tokyo International Film Festival in October and at smaller events in Japan but has not opened to the Japanese public. The Japanese version blurs the faces of some people on screen to lessen the possibility of trouble. Unplugged said talks were under way with other theaters to show the film, although details weren't released."

After working diligently to raise money to translate The Cove into Japanese, and advocating like crazy to get it allowed into theaters in the country, the team behind the ground-breaking documentary is finding it is being met with little enthusiasm.